The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-07-15

rant, what shall we have To show for the
deed OF bloodi The warrant must remain
with U.S."
"Yah, yah; he is right" said the Unicorn;
"the warrant must remain with.us. Put il in
your pocket, JAM"
"Curse you, give It 70 mel" said Muller, b.
tween his teeth
"No, Frank Muller, no. answered the VII
derbeeste, patting his pocket, while the two
or three square inches Of skin round his nose
wrinkled up In Hairy grin that, owing to
the cut on his head, Was even more curious
than usual; III you wish to have the warrant
you shall have It, but then we shall upsaddle
and go, and you can do your numbering
yourself. There, there, take your choice; we
shall he glad enough to get howe, for we do
not like the job. II ! go out shooting like
to shoot buck or Kaffir, not white people,"
Frank Muller reflected moment, and then
he laughed little. "You are funny people,
you home bred Beers" he said; "but perhaps
you are right After all, what does 1t matter
who has the warrant, provided the thing Is
well done? Mind there is no bungling, that
Is all"
"Yah, yah" said the fat faced man, "you
can trust us for that. It won't be the first
time that we have toppled over. II have
my warrant ask nothing better than to 60
on shooting Englishmen all night, one down,
the other come on. l know no prettier sight
than an Englshman topping over"
"Stop that talk and saddle up, the cart Il
waiting. You fools can never understand the
difference between killing when it is neces.
sary to kill and killing for killings sake.
These people must die because they have be-
trayed the land"
trayed the land; we have heard that before.
that Is good rule" and he laughed and
passed on.
Frank Muller watched his retreating form
with q smile Of peculiar malignity on his
handsome face. "Ah, my friend, )" he said to
himself in Dutch, "you and that warrant will
part company before you are many hours
older Why, it would be enough to hang me,
even in this happy land of patriots Old -
would not forgive even me for taking that
little liberty with his name. Dear me, what
q lot of trouble one has to take to be rid Of a
single enemyl Well, it must be done, and
Bessie is well worth it; but if it had not been
for this war could never have managed It,
All! I did well to give my voice for war. I
am sorry for the girl jess, but it must be;
there must be no living witness left. All! we
are going to have storm. So much the bet
ter, Such deeds are best done in a storm"
Muller was right; the storm was coming
up fast, throwing vail Of inky cloud across
the star spangled sky. In South Africa there
is but little twilight and the darkness follows
hard upon the heels of the day. No sooner
had the great angry ball Of the sun finally
disappeared than the night swept with all her
stars across the sky. And now after her came
the great storm, covering up her beauty with
his blackness. The air was stifingly hot
Above was a starry space; to the east the
angry bosom of the storm, in which the
lightnings were already playing with an in
cessant Pickering movement, and to the west
deep red glow, reflected from tho sunken
sun, yet fingered on the horizon.
On toiled the horses through the gathering
gloom. Fortunately the road was fairly
level and free from mudholes, and Frank
Muller rode just ahead to show the way, his
strong, manly form standing out clear against
the departing western glow.
1t was an awful night Great pillars of
mud colored sky came creeping across the
surface of the veldt toward them, seemingly
blown along without wind. And now, too,
q ghasHy looking Winged moon arose and
threw weird, distkted light upon the black
ness that seemed Is Nshudder in her rays. as
though with prescience of the advancing
terror. On crept the mud colored columns,
and on above them, and resting ON them,
came the muttering storm. The cart was
quite close to the river now, and they could
plainly hear its murmur. To their left was
koppie, covered with white. slablike stones,
on which the sickly moonbeams danced.
Look, John, look!" cried JESS with
hysterical laugh; lit looks like huge grave
yard, and the dark shadows between are the
ghosts of the buried"
"Nonsense," said John, sternly; "what do
you mean by talking such rubbish"
He felt that she was little off her balance,
and, what is more, he was getting rather off
his own, and therefore was naturally the
angrier with her, and the more determined
to be perfectly matter of fact.
Jess made no answer, but she was frightened,
she could not tell why. The whole thing re-
sembled some awful dream, OF one of Dore's
pictures come to life. No doubt also, the
near presence of the storm exercised an effect
upon her nerves. Even theSwearied horses
snorted and shook themselves uneasily.
They crept over the ridge of wave Of
land, and the wheels rolled softly on the
grass.
"Why. we are off the road!" shouted John
to Muller, who was still guiding them, fifteen
or twenty PAGES ahead.
"All right! all right! it is short cut to the
ford!" he called in answer, and his voice rang
strange and hollow through the great depths
of the silence.
Below them, a hundred yards away, the
Light, such as it was, cleaned family upon
the wide surface Of the river. Another five
minutes and they were on its shore, but in
the gathering gloom they could not make out
the opposite bank.
"Tupn to the left!" shouted Muller: "the
ford is few yards up It's too deep here for
the horses"
John turned accordingly, and followed
Muller's horse some 800 yards up the bank
till they came to spot where the water ran
with an angry music, and there was a great
swirl of eddies.
"Here is the place, said Muller; "you must
make haste through. The house is Just the
other side, and it will be better to get there
before the tempest breaks"
"It's all very well" said John, "but can't
see an inch before me; l don't know where to
drive"
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